Chelsea Vs Barcelona CL SF

gosplan

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

I can't wait for this. The unstoppable force meets the difficult to move object

Not sure who I'll be up for. Probably Barca, although I think Arsenal would have a better chance against Chelsea.

I know what you mean. On our day, we could outplay any team in the world except Barca.

Still, for the way they approach the game(style that is, not for being cnuts in the transfer market) I'm going for Barca.

Smegball

Essien is the key for this game I'd say, if Essien can stifle Xavi thats at least 1 out of probably 6 danger men stopped :P

redout

Smegball wrote: »

Essien is the key for this game I'd say, if Essien can stifle Xavi thats at least 1 out of probably 6 danger men stopped :P

Its the key to the game. Xavi dictates nearly everything Barca do attackwise although lately Iniesta has started to do this.

Pro. F

Hiddink says he won't man mark Messi. He said that the players swap around positions too much.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/26/chelsea-champions-league-barcelona-guus-hiddink

I reckon Drogba will get at least one goal.

Maybe 2-2

Headshot

Pro. F wrote: »

Hiddink says he won't man mark Messi. He said that the players swap around positions too much.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/26/chelsea-champions-league-barcelona-guus-hiddink

I reckon Drogba will get at least one goal.

Maybe 2-2

id say Drogba will dominate the barca CB's

odds 4-1 chelsea win ...not too bad

Headshot

Headshot wrote: »

id say Drogba will dominate the barca CB's

odds 4-1 chelsea win ...not too bad

5/1 on Betfair.

Think it might be a draw but I'm definitely tipping Chelsea over two legs. I think their pace and power will be too much for barca. They have hit top form at the right time

Headshot

rarnes1 wrote: »

5/1 on Betfair.

Think it might be a draw but I'm definitely tipping Chelsea over two legs. I think their pace and power will be too much for barca. They have hit top form at the right time

same as myself rarnes1

iv also gone for drogba to score 2 or more at 22-1

just have a feeling drogba could be the decider in this match

Warper

The referee could play a pivotal role in this match - Chelsea will be fired up and the likes of Bosingwa and Essien could easily be sent off as the likes of Iniesta and Messi dance around them.

This tie will go a long way proving to people if this is a great Barca team or not - they wouldnt have encountered anything quite like Chelsea all season and I know Chelsea havnt encountered anything like Barcelona in full flow. Home win by 2 goals plus.

Raskolnikov

Chelsea seem to be hitting form at exactly the right time, whereas Barcelona have been a bit iffy over the last two months or so. For me though, this game hinges on what Messi will do, on the biggest game of his career so far. If he's going to live up to his reputation as the greatest player in the world right now, then he has to perform tomorrow night. Like I said before, it's all well and good smashing 10 goals past no-hopers like Sporting Lisbon and Numancia; the real challenge is when you come up against the best teams in Europe.

Warper

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Chelsea seem to be hitting form at exactly the right time, whereas Barcelona have been a bit iffy over the last two months or so. For me though, this game hinges on what Messi will do, on the biggest game of his career so far. If he's going to live up to his reputation as the greatest player in the world right now, then he has to perform tomorrow night. Like I said before, it's all well and good smashing 10 goals past no-hopers like Sporting Lisbon and Numancia; the real challenge is when you come up against the best teams in Europe.

Oh right if he under-performs tomorrow then he isnt the best player in the world? One match decides if he is a great player or not. You obviously see little of Barcelona and Messi to post stuff like this. The biggest game of his career so far yet he played in the CL semi-finals last year. This must be a wind-up or else you must be Cristiano Ronaldo.

redout

Watch out for Chelsea players trying to antagonise Messi and getting some sort of reaction as he is already on a Yellow.

My prediction is simple: Barca victory

eZe^

Fcuk it, I've been pessimistic in my estimations of these types of games too much in the past. If Barca play to their capabilities, they can destroy Chelsea in 15 minutes, I hope Iniesta and Xavi run the show, if they do, I can see us winning 4-1 at the Camp Nou.... This Barca team is better than the one in 05, and this Chelsea side is nowhere near as resolute as the one Barca faced in 05. Barca to go through in the end...

jesus_thats_gre

Can't wait for this!

CHD

eZe^ wrote: »

Fcuk it, I've been pessimistic in my estimations of these types of games too much in the past. If Barca play to their capabilities, they can destroy Chelsea in 15 minutes, I hope Iniesta and Xavi run the show, if they do, I can see us winning 4-1 at the Camp Nou.... This Barca team is better than the one in 05, and this Chelsea side is nowhere near as resolute as the one Barca faced in 05. Barca to go through in the end...

If Barca don't play to there capabilities and Chelsea do and can see Chelsea winning 3-1.

If they both do i can see 2-2

If theres a fire i see it being abandoned.

IF IF IF IF IF......


Come on Chelsea.

eZe^

Nah, if both teams play to their abilities than Barca will still win... If both teams first choice XI played to their maximum then Essien is the only Chelsea player that would make it into Barca's front 6, Chelsea have a better GK and CB pairing, but that's about it.

CHD

eZe^ wrote: »

Nah, if both teams play to their abilities than Barca will still win... If both teams first choice XI played to their maximum then Essien is the only Chelsea player that would make it into Barca's front 6, Chelsea have a better GK and CB pairing, but that's about it.

Front 6 lol, ever hear of the long ball, we are masters and will just lob it over your pesky attackers and Drogba will skin that United reject Pique .

Good Luck tomorrow!

eZe^

Same to you brother, hope it's as good as the ties in 04/05 and 05/06...

Draupnir

I really, really, really think Chelsea will win and Drogba will be Man of the Match.

Drogba is the man to have in big games like this, a real big game player who thrives on pressure and the opportunity to be in the spotlight. I don't see Barca dealing with him so I think there will be a few goals.

Warper

I think Spain winning the Euro's last year has given the Spanish players that extra bit of confidence especially Iniesta - everyones talking about Messi which is great for Barca - some people think they are a 1 player team. Barca's attacking right side with Dani Alves and Messi is the best in the world and Bosingwa isnt even a left-back:eek:

I cant wait for this game now and another chance for Barcelona to prove they are the best side in Europe and the best in the World. Not only that but they are the most attractive team to watch by a country mile - they play the game the way it should be played and for all these reasons they should be applauded.

Raskolnikov

Warper wrote: »

Oh right if he under-performs tomorrow then he isnt the best player in the world?

Quite frankly, yes. Big players have always performed in the latter stages of the important competitions (Champions League and World Cup). Ronaldo did it last year when he won the Champions League and netted 8 goals. Kaka did it the year before when he won the Champions League and netted 10 goals. If Barcelona go out, it would be a travesty to say Messi was the best player in the world because he scored a few goals against a poor Bayern team, and one of the worst team to ever make the knockout stages of the Champions League (Lisbon).

Warper wrote: »

The biggest game of his career so far yet he played in the CL semi-finals last year.

This is the season where he has really stood out in the Barcelona team. As the standout player, this is huge for him. Like Ronaldo and Kaka before, everyone is looking at Messi this season.

Boggles

Warper wrote: »

I think Spain winning the Euro's last year has given the Spanish players that extra bit of confidence especially Iniesta - everyones talking about Messi which is great for Barca - some people think they are a 1 player team.

Those people are either drunk or mental.

gimmick

Why do I get the feeling Bosingwa will be MOTM tonight? People seem to think that he is screwed before he starts, but all he needs to is throw in a hard tackle early on to soften up Messi and the complexion changes there and then.

This game is so hard to call. I think if Chelsea try and play Barca at their own game they will get slaughtered. However, i think Chelsea will try and sit back and play a counter attacking game based on long balls up to Drogba who will frighten the life out of the Barca centre halves. As I said earler in the thread, 1-1 is the most likely result tonight.

G-Virus

2-0 Barca

CHD

I don't think Boswingwa will even be marking Messi, Essien will imo.

Boggles

---

Cech

---

Invanovic----Alex

---

Terry

---

Boswinga

---

Mikel

---

Essien

---

Kalou

---

Ballack

---

Lampard

---

Drogba

---

I think that team could get a result tonight, playing Mikel and Essien is key.

eZe^

I don't understand how people are so confident that Chelsea will win tonight at the Camp Nou, the only English side in the history of the competition to do so were Liverpool... Fair enough saying Chelsea will go through over the two legs, but to be so confident that'll they'll win away to Barca is imo a little naive.

CHD wrote: »

I don't think Boswingwa will even be marking Messi, Essien will imo.

Good, because that means your best powerhouse will nullify Messi... It would be much smarter for Chelsea to man mark Iniesta and Xavi, they run the game for Barca.


Barca's line up will be;

---

Valdes

---

--Alves

---

Puyol

---

Pique

---

Abigayle-

---

Toure

---

---

Iniesta

---

Xavi

---

----Messi

---

Eto'o

---

Henry

---

No excuses, that is basically Barca's best team, I would prefer a CB pairing of Pique and Marquez, but Puyol is vital as captain and wont realistically be dropped.

I'm not that worried about Drogba, as good as he can be, it's Lampard that is scaring me, he seems determined to win this trophy after last years disappointment, and he always shows up in the KO stages.

Prediction - 3-1 Barca;

Messi, Henry, Iniesta, Kalou.

Boggles

eZe^ wrote: »

I don't understand how people are so confident that Chelsea will win tonight at the Camp Nou, the only English side in the history of the competition to do so were Liverpool... Fair enough saying Chelsea will go through over the two legs, but to be so confident that'll they'll win away to Barca is imo a little naive.

I don't think Chelsea will win I think they will nick a scored draw.

One thing we have learned about records this season is that they will be broken.

IMO Barca have not come up against any team the calibre of Chelsea this season, I don't think it is naive to suggest Chelsea could win this, I think it is more Naive to give them no chance at all.

Hiddinck is Chelseas ace card, if any man can orchastrate a win at Camp Nou, tis Gussy.

eZe^

Nah that's fair enough, maybe I misinterpreted, but it seemed like alot of people were confident Chelsea could get a win tonight... And as Barca haven't faced a side as good as Chelsea, it works the exact same way for Chelsea, who have been nowhere near as accomplished defensively as in the past 4 years. It'll be a great game, and if I'm wrong I'll hold my hands up and admit it, but I really think we can and will crush Chelsea...

Warper

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Quite frankly, yes. Big players have always performed in the latter stages of the important competitions (Champions League and World Cup). Ronaldo did it last year when he won the Champions League and netted 8 goals. Kaka did it the year before when he won the Champions League and netted 10 goals. If Barcelona go out, it would be a travesty to say Messi was the best player in the world because he scored a few goals against a poor Bayern team, and one of the worst team to ever make the knockout stages of the Champions League (Lisbon).
This is the season where he has really stood out in the Barcelona team. As the standout player, this is huge for him. Like Ronaldo and Kaka before, everyone is looking at Messi this season.

I knew you had to be a Man Utd. supporter with your EPL blinkers on watching way too much Sky. You talk about Ronaldo scoring 8 goals last year yet Messi has scored 8 goals already this year. What did Ronaldo do in last years semi's - nothing and isnt this the same Ronaldo when in last years CL final facing the biggest kick of his life - he misses. Messi is a class apart from Ronaldo and doesnt engage in any cheating either. He is the best in the world and will be for a long time unless some new wonderkid emerges.

Boggles

eZe^ wrote: »

Nah that's fair enough, maybe I misinterpreted, but it seemed like alot of people were confident Chelsea could get a win tonight... And as Barca haven't faced a side as good as Chelsea, it works the exact same way for Chelsea, who have been nowhere near as accomplished defensively as in the past 4 years. It'll be a great game, and if I'm wrong I'll hold my hands up and admit it, but I really think we can and will crush Chelsea...

I hope your right. :pac:

Warper wrote: »

I knew you had to be a Man Utd. supporter with your EPL blinkers on watching way too much Sky. You talk about Ronaldo scoring 8 goals last year yet Messi has scored 8 goals already this year. What did Ronaldo do in last years semi's - nothing and isnt this the same Ronaldo when in last years CL final facing the biggest kick of his life - he misses. Messi is a class apart from Ronaldo and doesnt engage in any cheating either. He is the best in the world and will be for a long time unless some new wonderkid emerges.

Oh God please make it stop.

Warper

Boggles wrote: »

I don't think Chelsea will win I think they will nick a scored draw.

One thing we have learned about records this season is that they will be broken.

IMO Barca have not come up against any team the calibre of Chelsea this season, I don't think it is naive to suggest Chelsea could win this, I think it is more Naive to give them no chance at all.

Hiddinck is Chelseas ace card, if any man can orchastrate a win at Camp Nou, tis Gussy.

He has never managed it before with Real Madrid, Valencia or Betis

eZe^

Boggles wrote: »

I hope your right. :pac:

Me too Boggles mate, me bloody well too. I'll be drinking from 6 because it's my mates 21st, so I'll either get clinically depressed by 10 o clock, or be the happiest man on the planet..

Boggles

eZe^ wrote: »

Me too Boggles mate, me bloody well too. I'll be drinking from 6 because it's my mates 21st, so I'll either get clinically depressed by 10 o clock, or be the happiest man on the planet..

Jaysus eZe, drinking from 6, you'll miss a good chunk of the match, toilet breaks, your round, friends not realising the importance of the game and trying to talk to you, etc.

It's why I gave up watching football in the pub, best thing you can do is go to some other tavern for the match.

gimmick

No way will Essien be man marking Messi. His job tonight is to shackle Xavis creativity.

Anticipation is building

gosplan

Messi is the key to this IMO because Chelsea don't have a suitable player to mark him.

If Boswinga plays there then every single time Messi goes outside, he'll be forced to tackle with his weaker foot - not too promising (yellow plus yellow = red).

If, as suggested earlier in this thread, Essien man marks him, then Chelsea have sacrificed their best midfield player and still must worry about Xavi and Iniesta picking out passes to Henry and Eto.

If I was Hiddink, I'd get Essien to mark Xavi. That'll stop a certain amount of the ball to Messi. After that, I'd instruct Boswinga to show Messi the outside all night long but under no circumstances to let him cut inside. If you can rerstrict him to putting in crosses, you'd fancy your chances with Carvalho and Terry in the centre.

After that, you just hope that luck goes your way and Barca have an off night. If not, you hope that you can score enough to keep the tie alive for the return leg.

As much as I hate him, Ashely Cole is one of the few players in the world who could actually handle Messi. That'll make such a difference in a week's time.

And no .... I'm not overstating how good Messi is.

gimmick

I do not know about that. I thought Cole was absolutely crucified by WEalcott in the cup a few weeks ago. The point is moot anyway

gosplan

Boggles wrote: »

IMO Barca have not come up against any team the calibre of Chelsea this season

IMO Chelsea have not come up against any team the calibre of Barca this season.

Seriously though, I love it. The expensively assembled team of cyborg warriors vrs the skillful slight team packed with natural talent. It's just like the end of that mighty ducks movie!!!!

eZe^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14zqpr8kk0E

Shivers down the spine, It's Henry/ Messi/ Iniesta time.... :D:pac:

gosplan

gimmick wrote: »

I do not know about that. I thought Cole was absolutely crucified by WEalcott in the cup a few weeks ago. The point is moot anyway

Yeah but that's our Theo on a really big pitch. No one can handle that pace.

Barr

2-1 Chelsea win

grahamo

Chelsea will get through over the 2 legs. Barca are not great at the back and any team that has a go at them will score against them. Chelsea's midfield is very strong and Drogba should be a real threat.

SlickRic

my how many people seem to forget so fast...

i was tempted not to post until after, but hey, I 'll stick my neck out. now I could obviously be very wrong, but I can't see past Barca.

1) they are THE form team in Europe, and have been all season. you don't score 142 goals by accident.

2) Chelsea's midfield is strong, but will they ever get the ball? Utd didn't have it for very long periods last year, and by all accounts were pretty fortunate to get through. it was only thanks to a moment from 'The Ginger One'.

3) Barca's defense being cr*p is a myth. I don't have the stats, but Valdes is/was on quite an impressive run of clean sheets. It's due to Pique and Puyol being cynically underrated, and the fact the back 4 isn't even under pressure that often, seen as the opposition never have the ball for long.

tonight Chelsea will get at best a 1-1 draw imo, but the Nou Camp will be an education for them I think. Both times Messi is going to take the pi$$ out of poor Bosingwa; never mind Eto'o against a slow Terry.

It's going to fun.

eZe^

grahamo wrote: »

Chelsea will get through over the 2 legs. Barca are not great at the back and any team that has a go at them will score against them. Chelsea's midfield is very strong and Drogba should be a real threat.

Chelsea conceding 7 goals in 180 minutes of football against Liverpool and Bolton in the past fortnight is testament to the fact Chelsea are hardly the defensive musketeers they were of past seasons.

mada999

tbh i think Chelsea will choke Barca's midfield... i think they will press xabi and iniesta and cause them to make mistakes...if they do, i can't see Barca winning at home.

dfx-

What people appear to be forgetting with this man-marking Messi stuff is that he can move seamlessly over to the middle or left of the three and Iniesta/Bojan/Eto'o/Henry move around. They swap positions. It's not as simple as put good full back on Messi stop Messi/Eto'o etc. etc.

gimmick

SlickRic wrote: »

1) they are THE form team in Europe, and have been all season. you don't score 142 goals by accident.

That would be Real madrid as the form team in Europe. The have won 17 and drawn one of their last 18. They are not pretty, but they are damn effective.

Agreed on yur points in general though, but the pessimist in me will not see them right now.

Raskolnikov

Warper wrote: »

I knew you had to be a Man Utd. supporter with your EPL blinkers on watching way too much Sky. You talk about Ronaldo scoring 8 goals last year yet Messi has scored 8 goals already this year. What did Ronaldo do in last years semi's - nothing and isnt this the same Ronaldo when in last years CL final facing the biggest kick of his life - he misses.

1. I don't support Manchester United, or any other British team for that matter.
2. I watch as much European football as I do English.
3. Where was the best player in the world when Ronaldo was celebrating a Champions League victory? Do you really think that Ronaldo wasn't the best player in the world last season?

Warper wrote: »

Messi is a class apart from Ronaldo and doesnt engage in any cheating either.

Messi does as much diving, rolling about on the deck and trying to get other players booked as much as Ronaldo.

I'm just sick of hearing all this hype about "The best player in the world" and "The best team in the world". It's all rubbish until you actually win things, and the Champions League is far from won at this stage.

SlickRic

gimmick wrote: »

That would be Real madrid as the form team in Europe. The have won 17 and drawn one of their last 18. They are not pretty, but they are damn effective.

that is definitely strictly true; i'll admit that i conveniently ignored that fact.

i will qualify it by saying i said 'all season', implying over the course of the whole season; but again you are right.

PHB

I think it'd be ludicrous not to think of Messi as the best player in the world this season so far. Just like it would be ludicrous to think of Ronaldo not as the best player in the world last season.

However I suspect that both of them will have a pretty big impact on the CL this year, which will likely colour who is the better etc.

I also think that its quite possible that this years final will be the first real Ronaldo vs. Messi final, something I suspect their could be a few of in the coming years.

event

Warper wrote: »

Messi is a class apart from Ronaldo and doesnt engage in any cheating either.

no, but he does like to spit at players

he's an amazing player, but lets not pretend he has never put a foot wrong